Air-cooler.



ARTHUR ELSO1\T,-OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AIR-COOLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.i 6,119i3.

Application filed April 5, 1913. Serial No. 759,024.

T 0 all whomit may concern Be it known that I, A THUR ELSON, a citizen of-the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air-Coolers, of which,

the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

. The invention relates toan apparatus for cooling the air in rooms.

The special object of the invention is to provide a simple apparatus which may be easily move .from one room to another as desired and which may be operated either by a small motor and fan specially provided for the purpose or by an ordinary fan driven by power from an electric light fixture.

The invention will be fully described in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of the specification.

In the draWings,Figure 1 is a-vertical section of an apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring nowto the drawings,1 represents a box which forms the body of the cooler. Extending through said box from end to end is a series of air tubes 2 parallel with each other and on the same level and open at each end. Extending through said box also-from end to end is another series of tubes 3 located above and parallel with the tubes 2, said tubes 3 also being on the same level with each other. Preferably the tubes 2 and 3 are all formed with flat upper sides, as shown in Fig. 2. The base of the box 1 has an. extension in; one end and a chamber 5 is formed at that end of the box into which the ends of tubes 2, 3 open, said chamber 5 being entirely air tight except for i the openings into the tubes 2, 3. This chamber 5-extends for some distance above the.

upper series of tubes On the-other end of the box 1 is an air chamber 6, the bottom of which is somewhat above the lower series of air tubes 2 so that the open ends of the air'tubes 2 are open to the atmosphere of the room. The air tubes 3 lead into said chamber 6, said tubes 3 having a double crook after they'enter the'said chamber 6 by first having an upward turn 7, then crooking over and having a downward turn 8, but not extending down so low as the entrance of said tubes into the chamber 6 from the box 1. Perforations 9 are provided through the partition 10 between the box 1 and the air chamber 6 below the tubes 3, and perforations 11 are provided through said partition 10 above the air tubes 3, said upper perforations 11, however, being below the mouth of the turned down portion 8 of the tubes 3. The purpose of said perforations is to allow water to flow from the box 1 into the chamber 6. Through the outer wall of the air chamber 6 there is provided a plurality of perforations 12, preferably one series above another but all being above the lower end of the turned down portion 8 of the tubes 3. Connected with said perforations 12 are nipples 13 which are adapted to be connected with any suitable air tubing 14, preferably flexible tubing, the other ends of which are adapted to be connected with nipples 15 which in turn are connected with corresponding apertures 16 in the side 17 of a hood which incloses a fan 18. Preferably there is a wire cage 27 around the fan over which the hood fits. Said hood is in the form of a box with one side open, that is, it has a flange periphery 19, one side of the hood being closed by the wall 17 while the opposite side is open. Although the hood is shown as circular, it may be of any convenient shape, polygonal or otherwise. The purpose of the hood is to prevent the fan from drawing in uncooled air.

The particular form of construction of the fan is immaterial, but as shown it is mounted on a pedestal 20 which has suitable bearings and driving mechanism of an ordinary electric fan and suitable connections whereby it may be electrically connected with an ordinary electric fixture to supply current to drive the fan. The back of the hood may be made with wall 17 conical, instead of flat, to fit over other types of fan. For convenience, the hood maybe made in two pieces, to be fastened together around the fan as shown in Fig. 4. The chamber 6 is air tight except for the entrance of the air tubes 3, and the apertures 9, 11 leading from the chamber 1 and the apertures to the nipples 13, 13. Outside of the air chamber 5 is' a chamber 21 which is intended to be filled with water to form a water jacket for the chamber 5. Leading out of the box 1 above the chamber 5 is an outlet 22 with which is connected a discharge or overflow pipe 23. The lower side of this discharge opening 22 should be as high as the open end of the down turned portion 8 of the pipes 3 at the other end of the box. The box should be filled with water up to the level of the lower side of the opening 22 and the open end of the turned down portion 8 of the pipes 3, the level of the water being indicated by the line 24. It is intended that cakes of ice 25 should be placed in the box 1 resting on top of the upper series of air tubes 3, the water filling the lower portion of the box and partially surrounding the ice cake up as high as the level 24 already mentioned in line with the lower side of the opening 22 and cover the ends of the pipes 3. A bucket 26 or any ice-water receptacle may be placed under the open end of the spout 23 to receive any overflow. The apparatus being started with the water up to the level 24. the increase of water occasioned by the melting of the ice will overflow through the discharge pipe 23. As the water covers the open end of the turned down portion 8 of the pipes 3 the water forms a seal to prevent any air passing out of said pipes 3 except by first-passing into the water. By causing the air to pass through the ice cold -water it is given an. additional cooling as down into the the air chamber .6 so

well as purifying 1t.

When the fan is in operation the circulation of theair will be as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, namely, the air from the atmosphere in the room will enter the lefthand ends of the pipes 2 and pass through the same into the air chamber 5, thence up, into and through theair pipes 3, thence Water in the chamber 6, whence it will bubble up through the water around the pipes 3 into the air space in the chamber 6 above the. level of the water whence it will be sucked out through the tubes 14 into the hood of the fan and driven pint (lpy the fan through the open side of the The apertures 9, 11 through the partition 10 are for the purpose of allowing circulation of the water from the chamber 1 into hat the water in the chamber 6 will be maintained at the same level as in the chamber 1.

. By my form of apparatus the air in passing through the lower set of tubes 2 is sub- 'jected to a preliminary cooling before it passes through the upper. set of tubes 3.

In all other cooling apparatus hereto fore used, so faras known to me, the air tubes have been packed with a freezing mixture of broken ice or some freezing composition. In my apparatus the ice may be in of air tubes having a a solid block and is entirely on top of the upper set of tubes which form a support therefor. The tubes 3 are preferably made with flat upper sides partly to make a fiat surface to support the cake of ice, but in part also to bring as large a surface of the air tubes as possible into direct contact with the ice. The depth of the tubes should be small in proportion to their width to produce the maximum cooling effect on the airin the tubes.

What I claim is:

1. An air cooling apparatus comprising a box, air chambersconnected with two ends of the-box, a plurality of air tubes in two sets, one set being at a other set, bot-h sets of which pass entirely through said box, and open at one end into one of said air chambers, the other ends of the lower set of air tubes being opento the atmosphere and the corresponding ends ofthe upper set of tubes leading into the second of said air chambers, outlet tubes leading from said second air chamber above the mouth of said upper set of air tubes, the ice box having'a water inlet into said second air chamber and having a discharge outlet at a level. above the open ends of said upper set of air tubes and below the saidair outlet tubes.

2. An air .cooling apparatus comprising a box having a compartment to receive ice, air chambers connected with two ends of the box, a plurality of air tubes in two sets, one set being at a higher elevation than the other set, both sets of which pass entirely through said ice box and open at one end into one of said air chambers, the other end of the lower set of air tubes being open to the atmosphere andthe corresponding ends of the upper set of tubes leading into the second of said air chambers, said upper'set bent'extension within said second air chamber, means whereby the water formed by the melting ice is allowed to pass intothe saidsecond air chamber and form a water seal for the ends of said bent air tubes, means for permitting the dis.-

-charge of the excess of water at an elevation;

higher than the tubes and air, outlet tubes leading from said second air chamber above the mouth of said upper set of air tubes and at a higher level than the said Water outlet.

3. An air cooling apparatus comprising a box to receive ice, air chambers connected with two ends of the box, a plurality of air tubes in two sets, one set being at a higher elevation than the other set, both sets of which pass entirely through saidgice box and open at one end into one of said air chambers, the other end of the lower set of air tubes being open to the atmosphere and the corresponding ends of the upper set of tubes leading into the' second of said air higher elevation than thev mouths of said bent air osaaaa chambers, said upper set of air tubes forming the seat for the ice in the ice box, and having a bent extension within said second air chamber, air outlet tubes leading from said'second air chamber above the mouth of said upper set of air tubes, the said air chamber into which the bent arms of the upper set of air tubes lead having a partition between it and said box and provided with apertures below the mouths of said bent tubes whereby water may circulate from said box into said air chamber and form a water seal for the mouth of said air tubes and means for permitting a discharge of excess water at a level above the mouth of said bent ends of the air tubes and below the level of said air outlet tubes.

4:. An air cooling apparatus comprising a box, air chambers connected with two ends of the box, a plurality of air tubes in two sets, one set being at a higher elevation than the other set, both sets of which pass entirely through said box, and open at one end into one of said air chambers, the other end of the lower set of airtubes being open to the atmosphere and the corresponding ends of the upper set of tubes leading into the second of said air chambers, said upper set of air tubes having a bentextension within said second air chamber, air outlet tubes leading from said second air chamber above the mouth of said upper set of air tubes, the said air chamber into which the bent arms of the upper set of air tubes lead having a partition between it and said box and provided with apertures below the mouths of said bent tubes whereby water may circulate from said box into said air chamber and form a water seal for the mouth of said air tubes, and another end of said box being formed with a discharge orifice at an elevation above the mouth of the bent ends of said air tubes.

An air cooling apparatus comprising a box to receive ice, air chambers connected with two ends of the box, a plurality of air tubes in two sets, one set being at a higher elevation than the other set, both sets of which pass entirely through said box and open at one end into one of said air chambers, the other end of the lower set of air tubes being open to the atmosphere and the corresponding ends of the upper set of tubes leading into the second of said air chambers, said upper set of air tubes forming a seat for the ice in said box and having a bent extension open at the end'within said second air chamber, means for allowing discharge of the excess of water at a level above the open end of said bent extension, air outlet tubes leading from said second air chamber above the mouth of said upper set of air tubes, and a suction device connected with said air outlet tubes.

6. An air cooling apparatus comprising a box to receive ice, air chambers connected with two ends of the box, a plurality of air tubes in two sets, one set being at a higher elevation than the other set, both sets of which pass entirely through said box and open at one end into one of said air chambers, the other end of the lower set of air tubes being open to the atmosphere and the corresponding ends of the upper set of tubes leading into the second of said air chambers, said upper set of air tubes having a bent extension within said second air chamber, the box and air tubes being so constructed and arranged that the water from the melted ice is admitted to the said second air chamber and forms a water seal for the ends of the upper set of air tubes, the box being provided with a discharge outlet for the excess of water above that required for the water seal, air outlet tubes leading from said second air chamber above the mouth of said upper set of air tubes, a suction device connected with said air outlet tubes, and a hood for the suction device.

7. An. air cooling apparatus comprising a box to receive ice, airchambers connected with two ends of the box, a plurality of air tubes in two sets, one set being at a higher elevation than the other set, both set-s of which pass through said box and open at one end into one of said air chambers, the Other end of the lower set of air tubes being open to the atmosphere and the corresponding end of the upper set of tubes leading into and being open in said second air chamber, outlet. tubes leading from said second air chamber above the mouth of said upper set of air tubes, said second air chamber having a water inlet from said ice box, and a water jacket outside of the said first air chamber having communication with said ice box whereby the water jacket is supplied with water from the melted ice, and a discharge outlet for the excess of water at a higher elevation than the open ends of the upper set of tubes in the said second air chamber.

8. An air cooling apparatus comprising a box, air chambers connected with two ends of the box, a plurality of air tubes in two sets, one set being at a higher elevation than the other set, both sets of which pass through said box and open at one end into one of said air chambers, the other end of the lower set of air tubes being open to the atmosphere and the corresponding end of the upper set of tubes leading into said second air chamber, outlet tubes leading from said second air chamber above the mouth of said upper set of air tubes, and a suction device connected with said outlet tubes, said upper set of air tubes being on a level with each other and having their upper sides flattened to form a seat for ice, means for maintaining the level of the water i from the melted ice above the upper set of tubes and to form a water seal for the mouth of the said upper set of air tubes.

9. An air cooling apparatus comprising a box having two sets of air tubes passing entirely through said box, one set of said air tubes being above the other set of air tubes and arranged parallel with each other in a horizontal plane and forming a support for ice within the box, a chamber at one end of said box into which the ends of said air tubes open, said box being provided with a discharge outlet for the excess of water at an elevation somewhat above the upper set of air tubes, thereby permitting both sets of air tubes to be immersed in water formed by the melted ice.

10. An air cooling apparatus comprising a box having two sets of air tubes passing entirely through said box, one set of said air tubes being above the other set of air tubes and arranged parallel with each other in a horizontal plane and forming a support for ice' within the box, a chamber at one end of said boxinto which the ends of said air tubes open, discharge outlet for the excess of Water at an elevation somewhat above the upper set of air tubes, thereby permitting both sets of air tubes to be immersed in water formed by the melted ice, the outlet ends of said upper set of air tubes being formed with an extension having a bent portion which first rises above the level of: the water and is then bent downward into the water which forms a water seal therefor, an air chamber which incloses said bent extension and having air outlets above the water sealed ends of said upper set of air tubes, said last mentioned air chamber having communication with said ice box whereby the water is admitted thereto from the ice box, -said ice box being provided with a discharge outlet to limit the height of the water therein.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence'of two witnesses. I ARTHUR ELSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM AICOPELAND, V ALICE H. Mmmmnw said box belng provided with a 

